HMS Calcutta

Cairo Class Light Cruiser

Sunk by aircraft north of Alexandria, 1 June 1941, during the evacuation of Crete. See here for her war record.

very nice pre war photo

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prewar

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Portsmouth harbour - a hand coloured print

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tied up on the breakwater in Alexandria Harbour - she usually berthed here to act as A.A. guard

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Calcutta served on the America and West Indies Station with the 8th LCS from completion until ordered home to pay off in November 1927, her crew transferring to Despatch. On 18 September 1929 she recommissioned for the 6th Cruiser squadron (flag) on the Africa Station, paying off to reserve in 1931. The following years were spent in reserve or on subsidiary duties. In 1938 she was also taken in hand at Chatham for conversion to an AA cruiser, completing in July 1939. She served with the Humber Force from September 1939, then took part in the Norwegian campaign from April 1940 before assisting in Operation Dynamo in May. In June, while covering the evacuation of western France, she collided with the destroyer Fraser in the Gironde, and sank her. At the end of August Calcutta was transferred to Gibraltar with Force H and then served in the eastern Mediterranean, where she covered Malta convoys, and, with the 3rd Cruiser squadron, the attack on Benghazi in September. In 1941 she was involved in the transfer of troops to Greece and their subsequent evacuation, followed by the evacuation of Crete in May 1941. On 1 June 1941 the ship was attacked and sunk by aircraft of II/LG1 about 100nm north of Alexandria.